05 The Working World

Joseph Basile has been influenced by his parent’s food businesses since he was a child. This would explain his career path in the culinary arts. After Joe was in trailer sales, he decided to work in his parent’s bakery on Central Ave., Albany. There he learned a lot about the business and how to properly run and food service. Using his experience at the bakery, he landed a job as the Assistant Food Director as the State University of New York at Albany. It was after this career shift that the Basiles could finally get some breathing room financially.


Janet Basile’s working experience was relatively rare for a mother of five in the 1950’s. Once her children began going to school she started a job working at Sears’s department store. While working in the catalogue department, Jan crucially added to the family’s income at a time when it was common for a family to have one source of income. After some time at Sear’s, Jan became a receptionist for a local doctor. Her ability to raise the children and immediately begin working was essential in the financial enhancement of the Basile family.